This invention relates generally to an engines and more particularly to a pulse detonation engine having a high power density propulsion application.
A reciprocating internal combustion engine is widely used to transform chemical energy of a fuel into mechanical energy. Such engines have a complex mechanical combination of components used to transform the chemical energy into rotational motion. For example, a block has a cylinder formed therein and the cylinder is closed at an end by a head having a plurality of intake and exhaust valves therein. A piston having a connecting rod attached thereto is positioned in the cylinder and forms a combustion chamber. As combustion occurs within the combustion chamber, the piston is moved axially and the connecting rod which is attached to a crankshaft causes the crankshaft to rotate within the block to form the rotational motion. The complexity of mechanical components and the motion thereof results in a low efficiency of the reciprocating internal combustion engine. Additionally, the power-to-weight ratio is limited due to sliding friction, material temperature resistance and combustion pressure resistance.
Rotary engines reduce the mechanical complexity by eliminating the need to transform the reciprocating piston motion into the rotational motion of the crankshaft. However, the rotary engine does not substantially improve the efficiency or the power-to-weight ratio over the reciprocating internal combustion engine.
A rotary detonation engine has been suggested to overcome the power-to-weight ratio and to increase efficiency. One such rotary detonation engine is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,154 issued on May 3, 1988 to Shmuel Eidelman. It is speculated that the detonation engine of Eidelman has many shortcomings. A portion of such shortcomings being the introduction a continuous detonation mixture and the introduction of the detonation mixture within or near a shaft supporting a plurality of a rotor elements. Other shortcomings too numerous to define are contemplated such as distributing the detonation mixture to individual ones of the rotor elements.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems as set forth above.
In one aspect of the invention a pulse detonation engine has a shaft defining an axis; a mass member being positioned on the shaft, the mass member having a preestablished width and defining a parameter; a combustor portion being positioned in the mass member, the combustor portion being spaced from the axis a predetermined distance and defining an intake portion having a portion thereof positioned in the parameter and an exhaust portion having a portion thereof positioned in the parameter.
In another aspect of the invention a system for rotating a shaft, comprises: the shaft having an axis; a mass member being positioned on the shaft, the mass member having a preestablished width xe2x80x9cWxe2x80x9d and defining a parameter; a pulse detonation engine positioned in the mass member, the pulse detonation engine having a combustor portion being positioned in the mass member, the combustor portion being spaced from a predetermined distance and defining an intake portion having a portion thereof positioned in the parameter and an exhaust portion having a portion thereof positioned in the parameter; a compressor member being upstream of a flow of fuel and air entering the intake portion of the combustor portion; a mixer member being interposed the compressor member and the intake portion of the combustor portion; and an intake manifold being interposed the mixer member and the intake portion of the combustor portion.
In another aspect of the invention a method of rotating a shaft comprises: compressing an atmospheric air; mixing the compressed atmospheric air with a fuel forming a combustible fuel and air mixture; attaching a mass member to the shaft, the mass member defining a parameter and the shaft having an axis; positioning a pulse detonation engine in the mass member, the pulse detonation engine having a combustor portion being positioned in the mass member, the combustor portion being spaced from the axis a predetermined distance and defining an intake portion having a portion thereof positioned in the parameter and an exhaust portion having a portion thereof positioned in the parameter; supplying the combustible fuel and air mixture to the intake portion of the combustor portion; igniting the combustible fuel and air mixture; causing a high speed jet to exit the exhaust portion; and rotating the shaft as a result of the high speed jet.